Press-feeding mechanism



Dec. 28 1926.

1,612,224 C. F. ROOT PRESS FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 8. .1923

2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. (1% ar/fs fi 0 of ATTORNES 6' Dec. 2-8 1926.

c. ROOT PRESS FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 8. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

. I 7 Fl '774r/afla0 N Q 1- I r v ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.v

CHARLES F. ROOT, OF CLEVELAND, CHI ASSIGNOR TO THE CHANDLER PRICE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAHD, 0

H1O, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PRESS-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application filed February The present improvements relate to that type of sheet feeding device which is primarily adapted for use with so-called Gordon or platen printing presses. The object of the lllVQlltlOll is to provide a sheet feeding device for use in the connection stated that may be readily attached to existing presses with little or no alteration in their structure and that, when attached or installed, will not unduly encumber the press or be in the way of the operator. The device or machine is designed to pick up and transfer the sheets by pnuematic suction and the invention has as a further object the controlling of such suction conjointly with the movement of the picker fingers so, as to locate the sheets accurately on the platen of the press. Still another object of the invention is to render the mechanism simplev and compact and to reduce the; number of operating parts so that the requirements in the way of attention and repair may be reduced to a minimum. V

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related. ends, said invention, then, consistsof the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. l is a side elevation showing my improved sheet feeding mechanism as attached to a press of the type in question, the latter being shown in this, as well as in the succeeding figures, in dotted outline only; F ig. 2 is a: frontelevation of such mechanism and press Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism with portions of the press only appearing; Fig. 4 is a broken vertical section of the upper and lower ends of the vertical tubular shaft that constitutes the main supporting element of the mechanism, the plane of such section being indicated by the line 4;l, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section of another detail, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 55, Figs. 2 and 3.

The press illustrated in the drawings, as

8, 1923. Serial NO. 617,819.

previously indicated, is of the familiar platen or Gordon type and need not be fur ther described than to note the oscillatorily mounted platen 1 on which the sheet requires.

to be placed preliminarily to being brought into contact with the form by the conjoint movement of such platen and of the opposite bed. 2, which carries such form in a suitable chase, not shown. In the several genera-l views appearing in the drawings, the press is shown with the platen in its sheet-receiving position, the grippers 3, whereby the sheet is held onto the platenduring the printing operation, being suitably raised.

As previously indicated, the member, which constitutes the principal support of the feeding mechanism of present interest, is a vertical tubular shaft or column 5 which as shown, is preferably installed. on the lefthand side of the mainframe of the press so as to lie laterally adjacent to the platen in its aforesaid sheet-receiving position, rising a suitable distance thereabove. The manner in which said shaft is attached to the frame of the press is a matter of indifference, but in the illustrative construction shown (see Fig. 1) I utilize a plate 6 that is adapted to be directly bolted against thecorresponding side frame of the press, such plate being provided with two lugs or brackets 7 and 8 in which the shaft is fixedly held at verti cally spaced points. In order to insure the necessary ri idity, a third bracket 9 con nects the upper portion. of the shaft directly with an adjacent point of the aforesaid side frame.

The present feed mechanism is designed to operate in conjunction with a magazine or table 10 for the blank sheets that is located directly in front of the platen and is inclined downwardly in a direction away from such platen at an angle sufficient to cause the stack of paper to rest in a correspondingly inclined position against a back plate 11 on said table. Such back plate is longitudinally movable along the top of the table to advance the stack as successive sheets are removed from the front thereof, but inasmuch as the table forms no part of the present invention, it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the means for. accomplishing such movement or for vertically adjusting the elevation of the table as may be desirable in order to bring the stack into proper re stering position for gi the operation of the proper.

Finedly mounted on and closing the upper end of the tubular shaft 5 is a hollow cappiece 15 provided 1 a radia projecti eeding mechani m 4.).J ing arm 16, likewise hollow, said arm. ing provided with a tubular extension 1'! disposed approximately ight angles the median line of the platen. Rotatably mounted in such tubular extension 17 is a a hollow shaft 18, the respective ends of which project beyond the corresponding ends of said extension, such shalt being sealed save for an interior connection with the passag in the arm 16 and the connection now to be cescribed with the suction fingers tl at carried by the end of said shaft that lies over the plate. The sheet engaging and moving members in the form of suction tips 20, shown two in number, are carried by telescoping tubular ll lilS 21 that are attac d to a hollow shaft 22 0scillatorily mounted in the end of a hollow arm 23 fixedly attached and forming a part of said shaft 18, one interior of which, it will thus be seen, is in tree communication with the arms 21 and thus vith the suction tips 20.

@scillation of said shaft 18, as well as conjoint but independently controlled oscillation of the shaft 22, is dei'ved from a transverse shalt ournaled in suitable bearings on the main frame of the press, the l glltdilltl end oi said shaft, as viewed in 2, ing connected by means of suitable gears with he so-called large gear 28 of he press. id shaft 25, it will thus be seen, is rotated in unison with the movements of the various parts of the press, including platen 1. lit its opposite end, the left, as viewed in said 2, shaft can ries two cams 29 ant 80, such lirstnamed cam being formed with a cam groove 31 in its outwardly directed face, while cam is face cam, its "iwardly directed face projecting varying amounts from the vertical plane at dilierent points about its periph ery.

Pivoted to plate (3 at a point intermediate of shaft and said cam 29 is a bell crank lever 32, one arm of which carries a. roller 33 that engages such groove 81 in said cam, while the other arm is connected by means of a rod 34 with a lever arm 35 projects rearwardly i rom tubular shaft 18. Protation of said cam 29 will accordingl be effective to rock said haft 18 through the are indicated by the full line a; d dotted positions wherein said lever arm 35 is shown in Fig. 1.

Oscillatorily mounted alongside of. shaft 5 in suitable bearings 36 and 3?, the former projecting from cap-piece 15 and the latt r in operative connection ith the correspondmg end or a bar 12 reciprocably held in guides l projectin upwardly from shaft 18, irres ectrxe oi the oscillation of the latter produced in the mannerjust described abo e. A compression spring ell interposed one of said guides 48 and a collar on bar tends normally to move the latter towards the right, as viewed in Fig. '2, and at the same time, by virtue of the connection between the outer end of said bar and lever arm l0, said spring serves to retain the operating lever 39 at all times face cam cam, in other words, will be to move the rod or bar to the leit against such spring all as the end of lever 39 rides up the cam and then permit 1 arse movement of said bar such lever end -des down a 'ain.

The inner end of bar 42 is flattened out and formed with an inclined face so and pivotally attached to shaft 18, adjacent to such end of the bar, is a l ver i? that is held against such face by means of a ten sion spring d8 connected at one end to the lever in question ant at the other end to a fixed arm L9 rising from shaft 18 to the rear of the bar A link in turn conects lever i"? with a lever 51 attached to the corresponding end oi he tubular shaft 22 that carries the suction tip arms 21. From the construction last described it will follow that reciprocation of the bar 42 to the right, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, will cause oscillation of said shaft 22 so as to depress the suction tips 20, due to the action 01" spring 48 in pulling up on lever 47 so as to hold same at a l times against cam lace Conversely, movement of the bar 42 in the opposite direction, i. e. to the left, as viewed. in the figures just referred to, will rock said lover ant. thus shaft- 22 in the opposite direction so as to lift the suction tips 20 or swing the same in a clockwise direct-ion, as viewed in Fig. 1. The pivotal con ection between link 50 and lever 51 is provided by means of a pin and slot, as shown in n 5, or equivalent lost-motion device, so t at the lever and thus suction tips 20 ma; have a limited movement independently of the actuating means just described; a tension spring 52 serving normally to depress said tips as far as permitted by such lost-motion device,

Vertical shaft 5, which constitutes the main supporting element of the mechanism, is tubular, as has already been explained,

and reciprocably mounted within the same is a second tubular shaft that in its elevated position is adapted to communicate with thesuction tips 20 through a. port 56 near its upper end and the passages in the interconnecting parts. A flexible suction line 57 is connected through a suitable coupling with the lower end of said shaft 56 and as a result it will be seen that reciprocation of said shaft serves alternately to apply suction to said tips, and, as the upper end of said shaft drops below and so uncovers the passage in arm 16, to relieve such suction due to the ingress of air at atmospheric pressure. Reciprocation of said shaft 55, which thus constitutes in eflfect a valve, is derived from the same shaft 25 as are the movements of the other parts of the mechanism, a lever 57 pivoted intermediate of its ends to plate 6, having one such end connected with the shaft, while the other is provided with a roller 59 that rides on the edge of cam 30, such edge being made of varying radius so as to oscillate said lever in synchronism with the movements of the other parts of the mechanisnr The operation of the machine as a whole should be apparent. from the foregoing description of the construction and operation of its several component parts. In order to set the machine for such operation, a sheet of paper of the size to be handled is laid on platen 1 in proper position. Then shaft 25 is rotated to swing rock shaft 18 through the medium of bell crank lever 32, connecting rod 34 and lever arm 35, and at the same time to lower sucker tip arms 21 through the medium of lever 39, oscillatory shaft 38 and connections between the upper end of the latter and the tubular shaft 22 that carries said arms, so that the latter will lie in sub stantially parallel relation to the platen, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that both arm 23 and the two arms 21 are angular in shape and that they all lie in approximately parallel planes with the angles in said arms 21 directed oppositely to that in said arm 23. It will also be noted that the angularly related parts of arms 21 are independently longitudinally adjustable. so that said arms 21 may be adjusted so as to bring the sucker tips 20 in correct position near the lower or inner edge of thesheet.

The height of the table 10, that supports the stack of blank sheets. is next adjusted so that when through further rotation of shaft 25 the sucker tips are brought into operative relation with the foremost sheet on such stack, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1, they will contact with such sheet in exactly the same relation to the lower edge thereof as was determined by adjustment of said tips with respect to the sheet on the platen. Assumingthe valve 56 is open when the suction tips are thus in position to contact with the foremost sheet of the stack, the actionof the several cams will be first to swing the arms 21 outwardly sufiiciently to cause such sheet to clear the table 10; then to rock shaft 18 so as to lower the sheet through a downwardly curving path positioned directly over the platen; and finally to swing arms 21 downwardly until the sheet is brought into contact with the platen. Following the foregoing sequence of movements, the air suction is thereupon cut off, leaving the tips free to be raised, whereupon they are swung back again into registering position with the stack.

As a result of my improved construction, the suction tips, it will be seen, may. be moved independently of the oscillation of the main shaft 18 from which such tips are support-ed, while the path of both the feeding and return movements of such tips may be varied as desired by properly designing the corresponding cam.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

1 therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with means adapted to support a stack of sheets in approximately vertically arranged position in front of the printing couple of a platen printing press, of a horizontally extending support; a menu ber oscillatorily mounted on such support and having its free end movable transversely of the latter in a general vertical direction; a second member provided with a sheet ongaging and moving finger, said second member being oscillatorily mounted in turn on said first member at a point removed from the latters axis of oscillation so as to be adapted in the raised position of said first member to press such finger against the foremost sheet on such stack and in the lowered position of such first member to deposit such JEL oscillatorily mounted in turn on saic first member at a point removed from the latters axis of oscillation so as to be adapted in the raised position of said first member to press such finger against the foremost sheet on such stack and in the lowered position such first member to depos L such siieet in an approximately horizon al plane; and means adaptedthus to oscillate said members independently of each other.

3. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with means adapted to support a stack of sheets in approximate vertically arranged position in front of printing couple of a platen printing p of a horizontally extending supper her oscillatorily mounted on such suppo b and having its free end movable in a plan-e lying transversely of the latter; l member provided with sheet moving finger, said second memo oscillatorily mounted in turn member a point removed from tn axis of oscillation and ding from its own axis towards the la so as to be adapted in the raised of said first member to press suc against the foremost sheet on such in the lowered position such to deposit such sheet i; an r horizontal plane; and means c K to oscillate said members indepe each other.

4. In mechanism of the scribed, the combination with i a to support a stack of sheets in vertically arranged position in printing couple of a platen pri of a suitable support; a her i support; a transv rse arm carrier by said shaft; a member provided. with a gaging and moving finger and nu tached to sa'd arm at a point remove'l said shaft so to be adapted in t1: position of said first member to press finger against the foremost shat stack and in tho lo 'cred positi first me nher to deposit such s approximately horizontal plane; n, adapted to rock said shaft and more said members independently of each other.

T 1 .1 a o. in mecnamsm or he characte scribed the commnation Vil e ll mea 7 I to support a staclr of sheet 1 vertically arranged position in f printing couple of a platen prin of a suitable support; a horizon. ing rock shaft journaled at 01 support; a transverse arm ca h i shaft; a second arm provided with sh et engaging and moving finger and osc'l atorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from said shaft so as to be adapted in the raised position of said first member to press such finger against the foremost sheet on such stack and in the lowered position of such first member to deposit such sheet in an apl'iroximat-ely horizontal plane; and means adapted to rock said shaft and move said members independently of each other.

6. Zn mechanism of the character described, the combination with means adapted to support a stack of sheets in approximately vertically arranged position in front of the printing couple of a platen printing press; of a suitable support; a horizontally extending rock shaft journaled at one end in said support; a transverse arm carried by said shaft; a second arm provided with a sheet engaging and moving finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from said shaft, said second arm extending reversely from its own axis to-" wards the axis of said first arm so as to be adapted in the raised position of said first member to press such finger against the foremost sheet on such stack and in the lowered position of such first member to deposit ch sheet in an approximately horizontal no; and means adapted to rock said shaft move said members independently of e, 1 other.

3'. In mechanism of the character deibed, the combination with a suitable support. a horizontally extending rock shaft jouri aled in said support, a transverse arm ca ried by said shaft, a second arm provided a suction finger and oscillatorily attach d to said first arm at a point removed om said shaft, and means adapted to rock said shaft and oscillate said second arm T ependently of each other, the means for oscillating said second arm including a or reciprocably mounted on said shaft so as to move in unison therewith.

8. in mechanism of the character desc ed, the combination with a suitable sup port, a horizontally extending rock shaft ournarled in said support, a, transverse arm carried by said shaft, a second arm provided with suction finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from said shaft, and means adapted to rock said shaft and oscillate said second arm independently of each other, the means for thus oscillating said second arm including a member reciprocably mounted on said shaft so as to move in unison therewith, a

am on said member, a lever pivoted to said shaft and engaging with said cam, another ever on said second arm, and a link con- -ecting said levers.

9. ln mechanism of the character descr ed, the con'ibination with a suitable support, a horizontally extending rock shaft iournaled in said support, a transverse arm carried by said shaft, a second arm provided with a suction finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed rpm nu from said shaft, and means adapted to rock said shaft and oscillate said second arm in dependently of each other, the means for thus oscillating said second arm including a member reciprocably mounted on said shaft so as to move in unison therewith. an inclined cam face on said member, a lever pivoted to said shaft, resilient means retaining said lever in contact with said cam face, another lever on said second arm, and a link connecting said levers.

10. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a vertically e1- tending main support, a cap-piece on said support having an arm, a horizontally extending rock-shaft journaled in such arm, a lever fixed to the'end of said shaft adjacent said support, means connected with said lever adapted periodically to rock said shaft, a transverse arm fixed to the other end of said shaft, a second arm provided with a suction finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from said shaft, a member reciprocably mounted on said shaft so as to move in unison therewith, said member being operatively interconnected with said second arm to oscillate same, and means adapted to reciprocate said member irrespective of the rocking of said shaft.

11. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a vertically extending main support, a cap-piece on said support having an arm, a horizontally extending rock-shaft journaled in such arm, a lever fixed to the end of said shaft adjacent said support, means connected with said lever adapted periodically to rock said shaft, a transverse arm fixed to the other end of said shaft a second arm provided with a suction finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from said shaft, a member reciprocably mounted on said shaft so as to move in unison therewith, said member being operatively interconnected with said second arm to oscillate same, and means adapted to reciprocate said member irrespective of the rocking of said shaft, said means including a lever oscillatorily mounted on said cap-piece and having a fork engaging one end of said member.

12. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a vertical tubular main support, a cap-piece on said support having a tubular arm communicating with the interior of said support, a horizontally extending tubular rocl-:shaft journaled in said arm, a suction finger carried by said rock-shaft and connected with the interior thereof, and a second tubular shaft connected with a suction line and movably mounted within said support, said shaft having a port adapted in one position of said shaft to register with the passage in said arm and such passage being left open to atmosphere in another position of said shaft.

13. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of a vertical tubular main support, a cap-piece on said support having a tubular arm communicating with the interior of said support, a horizontally extending tubular rock-shaft journaled in said arm, a suction finger carried by said rock-shaft and connected with the interior thereof, and a second tubular shaft connected with a suction line and reciprocably mounted within said support, said shaft having a port adapted in one position of said shaft to register wit-h the passage in said arm and such passage being left open to atmosphere in another position of said shaft.

14;. In mechanism of the character de scribed the combination of an oscillatory arm, a second arm provided with a suction finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from the axis of 0scillation thereof, and means adapted to oscillate said arms independently of each other, said means including a lost-motion connection.

15. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of an oscillatory arm, a second arm provided with a suction finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from the axis of oscillation thereof, and means adapted to oscillate said arms independently of each other, the means for thus oscillating said second arm including a lost-motion connection.

16. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of an oscillatory arm, a second arm provided with a suction finger and oscillatorily attached. to said first arm at a point removed from the axis of oscillation thereof, and means adapted to oscillate said arms independently of each other, the means for thus oscillating said second arm including a lost-motion connection, and resilient means normally tending to depress such suction finger as far as permitted by such connections.

17. In mechanism of the character described, the combination of an oscillatory arm of angular shape, and a second arm provided with a suction finger and oscillatorily attached to said first arm at a point removed from the axis of oscillation thereof, said second arm extending reversely from its own axis and being likewise angular with its angularly related parts independently longitudinally adjustable, and said two arms lying in approximately parallel planes with the angles therein oppositely directed.

Signed by me, this 6th day of February,

CHARLES F. BOOT. 

